Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: EV charging infrastructure

[mbirn (mbirn]

At Woodard Lane Cohousing in Olympia, WA, we were approved for a grant of
$75,000 through a combination of state, federal, and local agencies.  A
vendor gave us an estimate of $124,000 for 8 Level-2 charges in our
preferred location.  Raising the addition $50,000 was one of the hardest
things we've done in the 15+ years of our community.  Issues included
balancing the needs of residents who had electric vehicles, residents who
were planning to buy an EV, residents who will never buy an EV, who had more
"wealth", environmental concerns, technological concerns, perceived
inequities in our dues structure, whether it was part of necessary
infrastructure or a luxury, and many more concerns.  We had a lot of "rich
conversations".  At the end, we found a solution that felt pretty good,
combining a modest cash call and generous donations.  We signed a contract
in November of 2024 to accept the grant money.

 

Then radio silence.  Given the political climate in 2025, many of us were
pretty sure the project was dead.  Then in the middle of June of 2025, we
were notified that the grant money was approved.  Yay!  Except that the new
estimates are $24,000 more than the original estimate, through a combination
of increased material costs due to tariffs, and the expiration of a tax
exemption.  We are continuing to work with the vendor to find a solution to
get us the infrastructure we need at a price we can afford.  

 

The story continues.

 

Meryl Birn

Woodard Lane Cohousing

Olympia, WA